Sticky Fingers: Fingerprint chemistry research at the intersection of forensic science and cultural heritage

Description:
Latent fingerprints remain a highly significant form of forensic transfer evidence, with the ability to link individuals to places and/or objects. Key to their successful use in criminal investigations is the ability to visualise them on a wide range of surfaces. We have been investigating diverse approaches, from ancient pigments to nanotechnology, to detect fingerprints on a wide range of surfaces. As part of this program of research we have shown it is possible to exploit the characteristic near-infrared luminescence of the ancient pigment Egyptian blue as an approach to successfully detecting latent fingermarks on challenging surfaces. Latent fingerprints are also important when considering the handling of cultural heritage objects, and we have used forensic fingerprint detection techniques to explore how handling practices may leave detectable traces on paper-based artifacts, as well as investigating the potential for latent fingerprints to cause corrosion damage on metal objects in museum collections. The common factor linking these projects is the importance of the chemistry of latent fingerprints, which we have been exploring using techniques such as scanning probe microscopy, gas- and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and synchrotron sourced infrared and X-ray fluorescence microscopy. An overview of the above-mentioned research projects at the interface of forensic science and cultural heritage will be provided, as well as discussing our studies of latent fingermark chemistry using advanced analytical techniques. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of our recently commenced program of research into the development of latent fingermark detection protocols for sustainable forensic science. Components of this research were undertaken at the X-ray fluorescence microscopy, Infrared Microspectroscopy and the THz/Far-IR Spectroscopy beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron, part of ANSTO (Victoria, Australia).

Speaker: Simon Lewis - Curtin University
Simon Lewis leads the Forensic and Analytical Chemistry Research Group within the School of Molecular and Life Sciences at Curtin University. He obtained his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Plymouth, UK , before taking up a position as a lecturer at Deakin University, Geelong, Australia (1994-2005) where he was involved in developing and coordinating the undergraduate forensic science program. His group’s research is focused on chemical techniques applied to forensic analysis, particularly in relation to chemical trace evidence and latent fingermarks. He is on the editorial advisory boards of the Journal of Forensic Identification, Forensic Chemistry, and Forensic Science International: Synergy and is an editor of the forthcoming Elsevier Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences (3rd Edition). Simon served on the IR Beamline Program Advisory (2012-2014) and the Scientific Advisory (2017-2022) committees at the Australian Synchrotron.